Jordan Mechner has revealed that he’s working on a Karateka remake for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It will be available as a downloadable title on PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade later in 2012. This is outstanding news. I have fond memories of playing Karateka as a kid on my Commodore 64. It was one of the first games (that I can recall) that used music and cutscenes to create an atmosphere larger than the gameplay. Nearly 30 years later, I’m psyched to see how Mechner uses modern game development tools to re-imagine Karateka. Here’s what he said in today’s press release:

Making the original Karateka was a labor of love. To have so many people embrace it and share the impact that game had on them has been incredibly fulfilling. In remaking Karateka, I want to honor the original with a compact, pick-up-and-play game that is fluid, atmospheric and beautiful.

This wouldn’t be the first time Mechner has revisited one of his classic creations. He worked with Ubi Soft as a game designer, writer, and creative consultant for the Prince of Persia remake. That one turned out pretty excellent, don’t you agree? I’m also excited to see a gaming legend return to show the new kids how it’s done. It’s going to be fun tracking the development of the new Karateka and hopefully it will be even more fun to play.

Any of you old enough to remember Karateka? You psyched for the Karateka remake?

There are a handful of interesting videogame releases this week. Leading the way is Kingdom of Amalur: The Reckoning, the debut title from Curt Schilling’s 38 Studios. The game combines the formidable talents of Ken Rolston (lead designer of several games in The Elder Scrolls series), R.A. Salvatore (renowned Forgotten Realms author and creator of Drizz’t), and Todd McFarlane (buyer of expensive baseballs). Fans of dark and gritty comics looking for a dark and gritty comic-book game will want to check out The Darkness II. Lastly, Resident Evil: Revelations brings Capcom’s famous survival-horror franchise to the Nintendo 3DS.

Any of you picking up new games this week?

The Star Wars prequels are full of things we recognize from the original trilogy, but divorced from any dramatic intent. For example, Plinkett astutely points out that light sabers are incredibly overused in the newer films, so much so that fights lose their uniqueness and tension — the constant battles becoming simple, garish light shows. Moments from the original trilogy are deliberately referred to, but without any parallel in meaning, just in form.

So, too, is Final Fantasy XIII filled with Final Fantasy Stuff — most notably and stupidly, crystals — and it’s clear that all of that junk is there because the developers assume that it has to be there, not because it enriches the world or the game’s play experience.

“The new films just borrow and recycle from the original ideas, as if there’s no way to create anything new,” says Plinkett. And that’s what hamstrings Final Fantasy XIII, too.

Again, this is an outstanding article and you should read it when you have a chance. Keep in mind that I’m saying this as someone that likes FFXIII and the Star Wars prequels a little bit more than most people. While I don’t agree with all of Christian’s criticisms — or at least the degree of which they’re issues — I was just floored by the thoughtful and intelligent writing. After you’ve digested the article, please let me know what you thought of it.

Source

After the expected new-year lull, a trio of interesting games will be released this week. Final Fantasy XIII-2 hopes to address some of the shortcomings of its predecessor. It also adds a Pokemon-like feature, a cute Moogle, and an odd Assassin’s Creed crossover. I’m really looking forward to this one, despite the lack of Reona Rewis. Speaking of Assassin’s Creed crossovers, Soul Calibur V adds Ezio Auditore da Firenze to its list of sword-swinging combatants. Last, but not least, is NeverDead. This trippy action game from Konami features an immortal hero with detachable body parts.

Any of you picking up new games this week?

Just Add Water has announced that Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath HD is now available on PlayStation Network for $14.99. This remake of the Oddworld Inhabitants classic was developed in conjunction with OI founder Lorne Lanning. It runs at a native resolution of 720p at 60 frames per second.

Here’s an excerpt from the press release:

Stranger’s Wrath follows the story of Stranger, a fearsome bounty hunter that captures outlaws to raise “moolah” for a mysterious surgical procedure. After encountering the backwater town of the Grubbs, Stranger discovers that there are a few too many secrets about the past and his future as a bounty hunter.

Just Add Water worked with Lorne Lanning to preserve every nuance of the original while making sure that the new game took full advantage of current generation hardware.

As many of you know, I’m a huge fan of Oddworld Inhabitants and Lorne Lanning. I’m looking forward to seeing how this remake looks and if the gameplay holds up. Any of you interested in picking up Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath HD?

Here are a pair of videos for the upcoming Game of Thrones RPG being developed by Cyanide and published by Atlus. As a mark for the books and the show, I’m definitely going to give the game a shot. I’m even a little excited for it, despite the mediocre graphics and seemingly derivative gameplay. At a glance, it looks average (at best) from a gameplay perspective, but I’m super curious about the writing. The game’s plot was written in conjunction with George RR Martin. I’m hoping it’ll be interesting, especially since I’ll be in my 60s when he finally finishes the damn series.

Check out the trailers when you have a chance and let me know what you think. Any of you interested in the Game of Thrones RPG?

Here’s my favorite videogame commercial of 2011. Surprisingly, it does not star Kevin Butler. I’m a huge fan of the ads starring Sony’s fictitious vice president, but the “Michael” spot outdoes them all. It’s just awesome to see so many different characters from so many different games hanging out in the same room. Worlds collide…and it’s awesome.

Consider this a warm up for next week’s Coffee Talk columns when I’ll be asking you about your favorite game, videogame graphics, electronics, etc. of 2011. For now, please let know what your favorite videogame commercial of 2011 was and embed it in the comments section if you have a chance.

Obsidian Entertainment is developing South Park: The Game, an RPG featuring those lovable (and foul-mouthed) kids on Comedy Central. From what I understand, the game is kind of like an M-Rated version of Paper Mario. On paper, this sounds frickin’ brilliant! I like Obsidian a lot. I love South Park and Paper Mario. Put them all together and, in theory, you should end up with an awesome game.

For more info on South Park: The Game, I highly recommend watching Game Informer’s interview with Obsidian CEO Feargus Urquhart.

Right now I’d love to hear your thoughts on the game. Are you excited for it? Do you dig the idea of the South Park gang in an RPG crafted by a company known for making very good RPGs? What other television characters would like to see in an RPG?

Square Enix has announced that Final Fantasy XIII-2′s Noel Kreiss will be getting a special Assassin’s Creed costume. Through the magic of DLC, you can make Noel look just like renowned videogame assassin Ezio Auditore da Firenze. The price and release date for this DLC has not yet been revealed.

I’m not sure how I feel about this. Ezio is super cool, but Ubisoft has been whoring him out to other companies. It’s weird that he’s going to be in Soulcalibur V and Final Fantasy XIII-2. This whole French-Japanese connection is bugging me out…but of course I’m going to download the costume. Crossovers are cool.

How do you feel about FFXIII-2 having Assassin’s Creed DLC?

The onslaught of excellent games has slowed down, but there are still some hot game releases left in 2011. Leading the way is WWE 12. I’m sure it will be another fine wrestling game from THQ, but I’m also sure there’s at least one good reason the writing won’t be as stellar as the Shakespearean scripts found in previous games. Fighting-game fans have a pair of releases to look forward to this week. Tekken Hybrid offers loads of Tekken gameplay in one package. The King of Fighters XIII takes a storied fighting franchise to the next level.

Any of you picking up new games this week?